Weslaco, Texas

Geography

Weslaco is located in southeastern Hidalgo County at (26.159130, –97.987374). It is bordered to the east by the city of Mercedes and to the west by the city of Donna. Interstate 2 and U.S. Route 83 pass through Weslaco, leading west 16 mi to McAllen and east 19 mi to Harlingen. Weslaco is 5 mi north of Progreso and 7 mi north of the bridge over the Rio Grande to Nuevo Progreso in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Weslaco has a total area of 38.3 km2, of which 38.1 km2 are land and 0.2 km2, or 0.49%, are water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by two seasons; a wet season from April to September and a dry season from October to March. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Weslaco has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. It is the most easterly city in the central states of the Great Plains with a humid subtropical climate bounded by a semi-arid climate to the west, reflecting in its most shrubby vegetation. The average high in January is 71 F and the average low is 50 F. The average high is 97 F and the average low is 76 F in August. The warm season is extremely long, as average high temperatures from May through September are above 90 F and average low temperatures are above 70 F, with relatively high dew point values resulting in higher relative humidity values and heat index values. Heat index values can consistently reach over 100 F during these months.

Average annual precipitation is only 25.73 in. Most precipitation occurs in the wet season which occurs from April to September, with the least precipitation distinctly occurring in the dry season from October to March. As September is the peak of the north Atlantic hurricane season and tropical storms and hurricanes occasionally drop copious amounts of rainfall on the region, this month tends to be by far the wettest, averaging 5.64 in of rain. The driest month is February, with only 0.95 in of precipitation. The record snowfall was 3.00 in on December 25, 2004. It snowed again on December 8, 2017. Weslaco received 10-12 inches of rain in October of 2015 that impacted several areas, particularly with drainage systems being overflooded.

Temperatures are frequently above 100 F, occasionally as early as February and as late as the end of October, the highest temperature ever recorded in Weslaco was 110 F on April 17, 1920. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Weslaco was 16 F, on January 12, 1962 and December 23, 1989.

|Jan record high F = 93 |Feb record high F = 100 |Mar record high F = 104 |Apr record high F = 110 |May record high F = 108 |Jun record high F = 107 |Jul record high F = 108 |Aug record high F = 106 |Sep record high F = 107 |Oct record high F = 104 |Nov record high F = 99 |Dec record high F = 94

|Jan avg record high F = 85.4 |Feb avg record high F = 89.6 |Mar avg record high F = 92.8 |Apr avg record high F = 94.9 |May avg record high F = 96.0 |Jun avg record high F = 99.5 |Jul avg record high F = 100.5 |Aug avg record high F = 101.4 |Sep avg record high F = 99.0 |Oct avg record high F = 95.6 |Nov avg record high F = 90.4 |Dec avg record high F = 86.0 |year avg record high F = 102.4

|Jan avg record low F = 35.8 |Feb avg record low F = 39.5 |Mar avg record low F = 43.9 |Apr avg record low F = 51.2 |May avg record low F = 60.1 |Jun avg record low F = 68.6 |Jul avg record low F = 71.3 |Aug avg record low F = 71.1 |Sep avg record low F = 63.7 |Oct avg record low F = 50.3 |Nov avg record low F = 42.9 |Dec avg record low F = 36.2 |year avg record low F = 32.9

|Jan record low F = 16 |Feb record low F = 20 |Mar record low F = 26 |Apr record low F = 33 |May record low F = 47 |Jun record low F = 53 |Jul record low F = 62 |Aug record low F = 62 |Sep record low F = 48 |Oct record low F = 33 |Nov record low F = 30 |Dec record low F = 16

|access-date = July 3, 2023 |access-date = July 3, 2023

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 40,160 people, 12,671 households, and 9,998 families residing in the city.

2000 census

According to the census of 2000, there were 26,935 people, 8,295 households, and 6,602 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,123.1 PD/sqmi. There were 10,230 housing units at an average density of 806.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 14.92% White, 0.27% African American, 0.49% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 20.93% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 83.76% of the population.

There were 8,295 households, out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.21 and the average family size was 3.68.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.8% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,573, and the median income for a family was $29,215. Males had a median income of $24,202 versus $19,688 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,235. About 26.5% of families and 30.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.6% of those under age 18 and 23.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Trade

Following the ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, cross-border cargo and vehicular traffic in the county increased 345% and 36.4% respectively since the beginning of the 1990s, from 228,133 to 1,015,554 cargo trucks in 2008 and from 10.92 million to 14.9 million automobiles. US/Mexico trade crossing the international bridge in Hidalgo County increased from $5.0 billion in 1994, pre-NAFTA, to $12.56 billion in 2000 and $19.9 billion in 2006. From 1995 to 2006 the Rio Grande Valley share of NAFTA trade increased 168% from $11.1 billion to $31.6 billion.

Healthcare services

Prime Healthcare Services, through its subsidiary Knapp Medical Center, serves Weslaco's emergency medical needs. The facility is outfitted with a Heli-Pad, Level 3 Trauma Unit and 233 hospital beds. Surrounding Knapp Medical is an unofficial healthcare district featuring a concentration of physicians, medical services and pharmacies. This district draws patients from the entire Mid-Valley. Weslaco residents can check with local providers for other specialized needs.

Government

The mayor was Adrian Gonzalez as of 2020.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public education in Weslaco is provided by the Weslaco Independent School District, Idea Public Schools, and South Texas Independent School District. There are 4 private schools: San Martin de Porres Catholic School, Valley Grande Adventist Academy, Mid-Valley Christian School, and First Christian Academy. Weslaco also has two Charter schools: Horizon Montessori and Technology Education Charter High School. The city has a Head Start Program, pre-kinder programs as well as several privately owned day care centers.

College and trade schools

Continuing education facilities located within Weslaco include South Texas College (Mid-Valley Campus), South Texas Vocational Technical Institute, and Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies. Texas A&M operates an agricultural research center in Weslaco.

Public library

The Mayor Joe V. Sanchez Public Library serves Weslaco.

Notable people

• Natalia Anciso, contemporary artist and educator, born in Weslaco
• Harlon Block, United States Marine; lived in Weslaco and graduated from Weslaco High School
• Omar Figueroa Jr., professional boxer, former WBC Lightweight world title holder; lives in Weslaco and graduated from Weslaco East High School
• Roberto García, professional boxer; former WBC Middleweight Silver title holder; lives in Weslaco and graduated from Weslaco High School
• Pat Hingle, actor; lived in Weslaco and graduated from Weslaco High School
• Chuck Leah; Americana singer-songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist born in Weslaco
• Gonzalo Lopez, criminal, born in Weslaco
• David Spielberg, actor, born in Weslaco

Museum

The Weslaco Museum has exhibits and hosts events for local residents.

Parks

Weslaco is home to one of the nine sites of the World Birding Center in the Rio Grande Valley. The site is located within the Estero Llano Grande State Park. The Valley Nature Center is a six-acre park and environmental education center that focuses on the plants and animals of the Rio Grande Valley.

City parks

The City of Weslaco Parks & Recreation Department maintains six city parks, and three public swimming pools.

Tourism

Weslaco is a Winter Texan destination and a gateway between Texas and Mexico.

References

English: Home located at 1027 S. Texas Blvd. Weslaco, Texas, coordinates 26°8′54″N 97°59′22″W. Presently it is well preserved and only the facade of a 15-acre nature preserve in the heart of the City of Weslaco in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas providing a haven for birds, butterflies and other wildlife that thrive among the native habitats of its Tamaulipan Thornscrub forest, orchard butterfly garden, wetlands, and ponds, according to fronteraaudubon.org.

References

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23. "{{usurped
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37. "{{usurped